Beach Bites
BY CJ Williams
Now that June is finally here and with it summer what better way to celebrate the season and get fit the fun way than to get out on the beach and participate in Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreations 29th annual Surf Sun and Sand Volleyball and Bocce Tournament. The wildly popular Surf Sun and Sand will be held on WB near public access #36 starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday June 6. Volleyball players will be divided into two groups: Group B (four-man teams) and Group C (six-man teams). Competitors will vie for a trophy T-shirt and prize package (prizes yet to be determined). Bocce ball players will compete as two-man teams. Professional referees will call the action (and get a tan too). Registration for Surf Sun and Sand started April 6 and will continue until June 3. Entry fees vary for New Hanover residents and nonresidents: Volleyball is $100 for residents and $120 for nonresidents per team; Bocce ball is $40 for residents and $120 for nonresidents per team. For more information call (910) 256-7925.Wrightsville Beach Parks and Recreations 29th annual Surf Sun and Sand Volleyball and Bocce Tournament
Quilters by the Sea
Quilting is big in the USA; as American as apple pie; a part of our cultural heritage; as therapeutic as it is functional; part craft part social club. Here on the Azalea Coast it has become a way to express love and creativity. Quilters By the Sea a guild that meets every fourth Monday of the month demonstrates with action and purpose that the process of giving away a hand-made quilt to someone in need is the kind of loving gesture that can lift spirits and even save lives.
With more than 280 members 80 percent from the Wilmington area Quilters by the Sea is a strong force for good; a source of generosity supplying hand-made quilts to neonatal units specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. The quilts are used to keep damaging light off the babies who when they are strong enough to be reunited with their mothers leave the hospital wrapped in those very same quilts. The group has also given bed-sized red white and blue quilts to American soldiers returning from Iraq and cot-sized quilts to the Good Shepherd Center facility in Historic Downtown Wilmington. Even as we speak their fingers are working fast to make quilts for abused women.
Members of the group hold small gatherings called bees and meet monthly to attend seminars by renowned quilting teachers who share their knowledge and techniques. The entire guild meets at an annual symposium where they bring their masterpieces and display them for a panel of judges.
This years 27th annual symposium will be held at the Anderson Tabernacle Church (301 S. 17th Street) Friday through Sunday June 26-28. Membership is open to all. A $30 membership fee goes to sponsor the symposium. For more information contact Pat Malyk at (910) 509-1741or visit
www.quiltersbytheseaguild.com.
African American History Days at Bellamy Mansion
Our beloved Bellamy Mansion (503 Market Street) was designed in 1859 by local architect James F. Post as the residence of Dr. John D. Bellamy. Now a stewardship property of Preservation North Carolina the Bellamy is offering a stunning and exclusive look at the integral role that African Americans played in making the mansion what it is today: The fourth annual African American History Days at Bellamy Mansion Museum of History & Design Arts.
On Saturday June 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Bellamy will host a series of mini-lectures given by esteemed educators covering the diverse Southern history of African Americans. The event will also feature guided tours of the property including the main quarters the slave quarters and the carriage house all of which were constructed by African Americans.
The highlight of the day will be a presentation of 19th Century food and a look at kitchen life in the Bellamy Mansion through a costumed interpretation of one of the Bellamys African American servants Sarah performed by Ms. Sulnora Spencer.
Bellamy Mansion education director Madeline Flagler says “It is absolutely necessary to tell the stories of the African American men and women who helped build this magnificent complex and we are so pleased that over the years we have been able to feature these stories and show how important they are as part of the Bellamy Mansion history in its entirety.”
Students will be admitted for $3 and adults $10. Children five and under are always free. For more information call (910) 251-3700 or visit www.bellamymansion.org.
Shakespeare on the Green presents The Merry Wives of Windsor
The 17th annual Shakespeare on the Green Wilmingtons very own outdoor celebration of the Bard will grace the newly renovated Greenfield Lake Amphitheater stage with free performances every Friday Saturday and Sunday night in June. This years production will be The Merry Wives of Windsor one of Shakespeares delightful comedies.
Cherri McKay Shakespeare on the Green executive producer also directs a youth company that will be performing Shakespeares The Comedy of Errors with performances on June 9 10 11 and 16 17 18.
Shakespeare on the Green is proudly nonprofit and measures its success by how well it serves its audience. Since the actors work for free the company designates several performances as “Actor Appreciation Nights ” where donations for the cast are collected as a way for the audience to say: “Bravo. “
“It has to be a very passionate dedicated disciplined actor to do Shakespeare ” says McKay “and we absolutely choose the cream of the crop.” This summer season those special appreciation performances fall on three Thursdays in June: 11 18 and 25.
“There isnt much free anymore ” says McKay “and so were thinking free is pretty in vogue this year. Throw in a fun and funny night of Shakespeare and its a cheap tasteful classy date.”
For more information call (910) 762-6393 or visit www.myspace.com/shakespeareonthegreen.